Tractor



C. E. STAHL. TRACTOR.

Jan. 30, 1923.

Fl LED JAN 17, 191 8 I 3 SHEETS'SHEET 1 Jan. 30, 1923. 1,443,768

- C E. STAHL.

TRACTOR. F| LED JAN. 17, 1918. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Jan. 3@, 1923. LM3J68 C. E. STAHLL TRACTOR. FILED JAN. 17. 1918. 3 SHEETS'SHEET 3 Patented Jana'iifi, 1923.

fiTATESi innate CHARLES E. STAHL, OF W'INTHROP HARBOR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO I. C. AUSTIN MACHINERY COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

TRACTOR.

Application filed January 17, 1918.

To all '10]! cm. 1'1 may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARm-Js E. STAHL, a citizen of the l nited States of America, and resident of. \Vinthrop Harbor, county of Lake. and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement n Tractors. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tractors of that kind in which the entire machine is supported on a pair of traction belts, arranged side by side, and in which means are provided for operating each belt independently of the other. whereby one belt can be driven faster than the other to turn the machine to the right or the left. or, whereby one belt can stand still, if such is necessary. while the other belt is traveling forward. thereby to turn the machine around in a small space. Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved tractor of the foregoing general character.

Special objects are to provide an improved construction and arrangement for enabling the traction belts to travel advanta eously over uneven ground; to provide an improved construction and arrangement for driving each traction belt independently of the other: and to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and desirability of a tractor of this particular construction.

To these and other useful ends, the mvention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a caterpillar tractor embodying the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the machine shown' in Figure 1 with certain fportions thereof in horizontal section.

l igure-iiis a transverse section on line 3 3 in Figure 2, with certain parts shown Serial No. 212,171.

rollers 6 on the flexible traction belts. one at each side of the machine, by which the body or chassis of the tractor is supported. -\u. ;1l1ai 'y frames Tare arranged at opposite sides of the chassis or body frame, and are pivoted to swing up and down about a transverse axis 8 disposed immediately in front of the driving wheels 4, so that the front ends of these frames 7 swing up and down. The pivots which provide the axis 8 are preferably provided with springs 9 which carry the weight of the chassis or body frame. and through which said weight is communicated to the auxiliary frames 7, the latter being provided on their undersidcs with wheels or rollers 10 which travel on the belts. Near their forward ends the auxiliary frames 7 are provided with idlel's 11 which are grooved to receive the two belts aml prevent lateral displacement thereof. 'lhesc idlers 11 are supported by hearings or blocks 12 which are" slidable limgitudinally on the frames 7 so that the two traction belts can be. tightened when such is necessary or desirable. For this purpose. longitudinal rods 13 are connected to said hearings or blocks 12 and extend forward through shoulders 14 on the front ends of the frames 7 and are provided with adjusting nuts 15 whereby the idlers 11 can be pulled forward to tighten the two traction belts. The forward ends of the frames 7 are suitably connected together by a transverse connecting member. and the front end of the body or chassis l is supported on this transverse connecting member through the medium of springs 16, so that the weight of, the chassis onbody fran eis cushioned on the forward ends of the auxiliary frames 7: and. by the provision of the previously described springs 9; the weight of the chassis or body frame is cushioned on the rear ends of each auxiliary frame. Practically the entire weight of the machine is communicated through said springs to the rollers 10-. and from the latter to the two traction belts. The idlers l0 and the driving wheels 4 are high enough so that they do not ordinarily conmiunicate the weight to the traction belts. although they will do so attimes in traveling over rough ground. For operating the driving wheels 4. the following arrangement is employed: On the forward portion of the chassis an engine 17 of any suitable character'is mounted. and this engine provided with the usual fly-wheel 18 and clutch 19. whereby the transmission of power from the engine to the gear-box or gear-set 20 may be controlled at will.

it will be understood that this gear-set or gear-box may be of any suitable known or approved form. and is of such character. like those used on automobiles and tractors in general. that the bevel pinion 21 at, the rear end thereof can be rotated at will. in either direction. thereby to drive the tractor either forward or backward. A sleeve 22 is loosely mounted on the two transversely alined shafts and the latter are provided at their outer ends with pinions 24. each shaft being suitably mounted for rotation in hearings on the main body frame or chassis. or in the housing-,2?) of the gearing. which latter is rigidly secured to the main body frame. The driving wheels -lhave internal gear-teeth 2b whiclrengage the pinions 2%. the latter being disposed directly above the transverse axis of said driving wheels. A bevel-gear 27 is rigidly secured to the sleeve 22 and arranged in position to engage the bevel pinion 21. which latter. previously explained. can be rotated in either direction by power transmitted from the engine through the shifting gear-set 20. so that the bevel gear :27 can be rotated in either direction. Friction clutches 28. of any suitable character. are provided at the opposite ends of the sleeve 29. and through these clutches said sleeve can be connected to the shafts 23. in a mannerthat will be readily understood. thereby to rotate the pinions 2-1- and thus drive the tractor.

It will be understoodgof course. that hand-levers (not shown) or any other suitahle means. can be employed for controlling the clutch l9 and the gear-set :20 and the .-lutches 251. therebyto drive the tractor either backward or forward. ll ith this arrangement. one clutch 28 can be left open while the other clutch 28 is closed. and in :his way one flexible traction belt will stand :till while the other is operated. thus turnng the machine around in a comparatively :mall space. Preferably. the gear housing is provided with hub extensions 2H lpon which the driving wheels 4 rotate. and .vhereby the shafts 23 are relieved from drain and weight.

The traction belts. in the present instance, are formed by links 30. each of which is ifurcatcd at one end to provide two end )ortions ill into which a reduced end of an uljoining link extends. bolts 38 being in- :erted through the interlocked links. llach ink is provided with an overhanging top )ortion 49 and is beveled at 50. the contraction being such as to permit an end of me link to tilt downward toward the tread plate of the next link when the belt is flexed in traveling around the driving and idler wheels. whereby the belt is freely flexible at all times. the pivotal action between the links being sufficient, to serve this purpose.

It will be understood that the links are provided with tread plates of suitable form and that wearing portions, or treads 4-8 are attached to these plates and travel on the g1 ound to provide the desired traction or propelling effect.

As a matter of further and special improvement. the transverse member 52 by which the two auxiliary frames are connected together at their forward ends may be pivotally connected to the front ends of these auxiliary frames. and in this way either frame can swing up and down at its forward end independent of the other frame T, as the member 52 will be free to have a.

transverse tilting action. and the springs 16 being preferably arranged close together at the center of the frame 1 (see Figure 2) thus permitting this more or less independent action of the two traction devices. ll'ith this arrangement. the front end of one traction device may rise as it travels over an obstruction while the front end of the other traction device remains in normal position. or the front ends of the two frames 7 may rise together. depending upon the uneven character of the ground over which the machine is traveling. The transverse member 52. in this way. serves as an equalizer bar. and with the two springs 16 arranged close together at the longitudinal center of the machine, the tractor body or chassis 1 has a three-point suspension. two points in rear on the rear ends of the auxiliary frames 7. and the third point being in front at the center of the equalizer bar. Each pivot 53 it will be-seen. interposed between the equalizer 52 and the front end of one of the frames '2'. so that the axis of each pivot 53 extends longitudinally of the tractor at. a point midway between the opposite sides of each frame 7. such axes being located at the center of the treads of the wheels l and 11. so that the weight is centrally imposed on the front end of each said frame. in this way the weight on each frame T is balanced. so to speak. so that the frame does not tend to twist or turn over sidewise. and whereby the weight. is evenly supported to that the traction belt rests firmly and squarely on the ground. With this arrangement. therefore. the axis of each ivot- 53 extends longitudinally and centrally of the caterpillar traction device, so that each traction device. in its entirety. is practically balanced about the longitudinal axis of its front. pivot.

'ith the construction shown and described. it will be seen that either truck frame 7 is adapted to move up and down izer bar extending transversely and op era-ted at each end in front of said belts. 12. A structure as speclfied in claim '10, said instrumentahties comprising an auxof said body frame on the forward ends of said auxiliary frai-nes, having on equalizing pivot for the front end 'of each auxiliary,

frame.

' '13. In, a- ,tractor, the combination a main body frame, a traction device ateaoh sideofsald body frame, ajpivotal transverse bar, pivots between the ends of said bars and the front ends of said traction devices,

means to yieldingly support the load weight on said devices, I and means including springs to yieldingiy support the front end of? said body frame on the middle portion of said bar. r y

14. In a tractor, the combinationbf a body frame, a pair oftruck frames disposed at opposite sides of the body frame, transverse means Connecting the forward ends Illinois,- this 29th day of of the, truck frames together; means includlng springs to impose the Weight ofthe body frame on the rear ends of said truck frames idler wheels on said truck frames f at one end and sprocket wheels on 'Sdld' frames at the opposite ends; traction belts supported on said sprocket Wheels and idler wheels,jmeans on said truck frames to impose the load weight on the lower portions sprocket wheels to operate the traction belts, and means including a springto impose the weight 'of the body frame on said transverse means, so that a three-point suswith a spring carrying the load at each point of said suspension.

'15. A structure as, speoifieduin claim 14, each truck frame being movable up and down bodily and independently of the other truck frame, and each truck frame being movable up and down'at either end thereof independently of itsother end;

Signed by me at, 'Chica o,'Cook County,"

fiecember, 1917.

CHARLES E STAT-IL.

of said belts, I means for driving said pension is provided forthe body-frame; 

